SparkNotes: Hamlet: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Hamlet Hamlet has fascinated audiences and readers for centuries, and the first thing to point out about him is that he is enigmatic. There is always more to him than the other characters in the play can figure out; even the most careful and clever readers come away with the sense that they don’t know everything there is to know about this character. Hamlet actually tells other characters that there is more to him than meets the eye—notably, his mother, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—but his fascination involves much more than this. When he speaks, he sounds as if there’s something important he’s not saying, maybe something even he is not aware of. The ability to write soliloquies and dialogues that create this effect is one of Shakespeare’s most impressive achievements. A university student whose studies are interrupted by his father’s death, Hamlet is extremely philosophical and contemplative. He is particularly drawn to difficult questions or questions that cannot be answered with any certainty.

Faced with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, evidence that any other character in a play would believe, Hamlet becomes obsessed with proving his uncle’s guilt before trying to act. The standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” is simply unacceptable to him. He is equally plagued with questions about the afterlife, about the wisdom of suicide, about what happens to bodies after they die—the list is extensive. But even though he is thoughtful to the point of obsession, Hamlet also behaves rashly and impulsively. When he does act, it is with surprising swiftness and little or no premeditation, as when he stabs Polonius through a curtain without even checking to see who he is. He seems to step very easily into the role of a madman, behaving erratically and upsetting the other characters with his wild speech and pointed innuendos. It is also important to note that Hamlet is extremely melancholy and discontented with the state of affairs in Denmark and in his own family—indeed, in the world at large. He is extremely disappointed with his mother for marrying his uncle so quickly, and he repudiates Ophelia, a woman he once claimed to love, in the harshest terms.

His words often indicate his disgust with and distrust of women in general. At a number of points in the play, he contemplates his own death and even the option of suicide. But, despite all of the things with which Hamlet professes dissatisfaction, it is remarkable that the prince and heir apparent of Denmark should think about these problems only in personal and philosophical terms. He spends relatively little time thinking about the threats to Denmark’s national security from without or the threats to its stability from within (some of which he helps to create through his own carelessness). Claudius Hamlet’s major antagonist is a shrewd, lustful, conniving king who contrasts sharply with the other male characters in the play. Whereas most of the other important men in Hamlet are preoccupied with ideas of justice, revenge, and moral balance, Claudius is bent upon maintaining his own power. The old King Hamlet was apparently a stern warrior, but Claudius is a corrupt politician whose main weapon is his ability to manipulate others through his skillful use of language. Claudius’s speech is compared to poison being poured in the ear—the method he used to murder Hamlet’s father.

Claudius’s love for Gertrude may be sincere, but it also seems likely that he married her as a strategic move, to help him win the throne away from Hamlet after the death of the king. As the play progresses, Claudius’s mounting fear of Hamlet’s insanity leads him to ever greater self-preoccupation; when Gertrude tells him that Hamlet has killed Polonius, Claudius does not remark that Gertrude might have been in danger, but only that he would have been in danger had he been in the room. He tells Laertes the same thing as he attempts to soothe the young man’s anger after his father’s death. Claudius is ultimately too crafty for his own good. In Act V, scene ii, rather than allowing Laertes only two methods of killing Hamlet, the sharpened sword and the poison on the blade, Claudius insists on a third, the poisoned goblet. When Gertrude inadvertently drinks the poison and dies, Hamlet is at last able to bring himself to kill Claudius, and the king is felled by his own cowardly machination.

Gertrude Few Shakespearean characters have caused as much uncertainty as Gertrude, the beautiful Queen of Denmark. The play seems to raise more questions about Gertrude than it answers, including: Was she involved with Claudius before the death of her husband? Did she love her husband? Did she know about Claudius’s plan to commit the murder? Did she love Claudius, or did she marry him simply to keep her high station in Denmark? Does she believe Hamlet when he insists that he is not mad, or does she pretend to believe him simply to protect herself? Does she intentionally betray Hamlet to Claudius, or does she believe that she is protecting her son’s secret? These questions can be answered in numerous ways, depending upon one’s reading of the play. The Gertrude who does emerge clearly in Hamlet is a woman defined by her desire for station and affection, as well as by her tendency to use men to fulfill her instinct for self-preservation—which, of course, makes her extremely dependent upon the men in her life. Hamlet’s most famous comment about Gertrude is his furious condemnation of women in general: “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (I.ii.146).

This comment is as much indicative of Hamlet’s agonized state of mind as of anything else, but to a great extent Gertrude does seem morally frail. She never exhibits the ability to think critically about her situation, but seems merely to move instinctively toward seemingly safe choices, as when she immediately runs to Claudius after her confrontation with Hamlet. She is at her best in social situations (I.ii and V.ii), when her natural grace and charm seem to indicate a rich, rounded personality. At times it seems that her grace and charm are her only characteristics, and her reliance on men appears to be her sole way of capitalizing on her abilities. An analysis of Gertrude, Hamlet's Mother Introduction to Gertrude in Hamlet Gertrude is, more so than any other character in the play, the antithesis of her son, Hamlet. Hamlet is a scholar and a philosopher, searching for life's most elusive answers. He cares nothing for this "mortal coil" and the vices to which man has become slave. Gertrude is shallow, and thinks only about her body and external pleasures. Like a child she longs to be delighted.

We do not see much of her in daily activity, but if we could we would see a woman enraptured by trinkets and fine clothes, soft pillows and warm baths. Gertrude is also a very sexual being, and it is her sexuality that turns Hamlet so violently against her. The Ghost gives Hamlet, who is already disgusted with his mother for marrying his uncle such a short time after his father's death, even more disturbing information about the Queen: Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,-- O wicked wit, and gifts that have the power So to seduce!--won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen. (I.V.42-5) Many critics misread the line "adulterate beast" as proof that Gerturde had been the lover of Claudius even before Hamlet's father had died. This would make the Queen a far more loathsome character than Shakespeare had intended, and the rest of the play makes no mention of this adultery. Adulterate, by definition, means to change to a worse state by mixing; to contaminate with base matter.

And Claudius has indeed, according to the Ghost, contaminated his precious Gertrude, but this does not mean that Claudius did so before Hamlet's father died. If Gertrude were an adulteress, she would have been almost certainly been involved in Claudius' plot of murder, and therefore she would be the play's villainess and not its child-like victim. Claudius would believe her to be an accomplice and confide in her, but he does not. Moreover, if it were true, it most surely would be foremost on Hamlet's mind, but when Hamlet confronts Gertrude in her closet and announces all her crimes, he does not once even imply that she has committed adultery. And, as Olav Lokse points out in his book Outrageous Fortune: [The scholar J.W. Draper] also draws attention to the Ghost's complaint that he was "Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatch'd" (I.v.75), which is echoed by Claudius's "My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen", in III, iii, 55, which may be taken to indicate the sequence in which the pre-play events had occurred.

(82) That Gertrude has an aversion to the truth is not in dispute. She lies to herself about the consequences of her actions, and she lies to those around her. But she lies to protect. Hers are not cruel and wicked falsehoods; hers are white lies that she feels she must tell in order to keep her and those around her safe physically and emotionally. She must tell the King that Hamlet has killed Polonius, but, she does what she can to help Hamlet, telling Claudius that Hamlet "weeps for what is done" when clearly he does not. On the surface it is hard to comprehend why Hamlet, his father, and Claudius all have such a deep devotion to Gertrude. But the qualities that save her from condemnation along with Claudius are subtly woven into the play. She loves Hamlet, and, underneath her shallow exterior, shows great emotion when he confronts her.

Gertrude truly does not know what she has done to make Hamlet so furious, and it is only when he tells her that she understands her actions to be wrong: O Hamlet, speak no more: Thou turn'st my very eyes into my soul, And there I see such black and grained spots As will not leave their tinct (III.iv.88-91) ...O speak to me no more; these words like daggars enter my ears; No more, sweet Hamlet! (III.iv.94-6) There is no reason to believe that Gertrude is lying to appease Hamlet in the above lines. No where else in the play is Gertrude portrayed as cunning or Janus-faced, as is Claudius. Even though Hamlet lashes out at her with all the rage he can muster, Gertrude remains faithful to him, protecting him fron the King. And, although her love for Claudius is wrong by moral standards, she is now his queen, and remains loyal to him.

We see she has the potential for great love -- she wants to protect Claudius from the mob, and she cares deeply about Ophelia and Polonius, and is concerned for Hamlet in the duel even though she has no idea that it is a trap. It is Gertrude's underlying propensity for goodness that redeems her. Her men forgive her for her shallow, sensual nature and her addictions to comfort and pleasure because they see that she is innocent of premeditation. It is sad but fitting that Gertrude meet her end drinking from the poisoned goblet, demanding that she taste what is in the pretty cup, as trusting as a new-born babe. How to cite this article: Mabillard, Amanda. Introduction to Gertrude. Shakespeare Online. 15 Aug. 2008. < > . References Hamlet: Q & A _____ Does Gertrude Lie to Laertes? ... "He is told that his sister was seen to clamber into the willow, upon a branch which broke, out of mere spitefulness says the Queen (1. 174); so she fell thence into the stream, whose moistness Her Majesty attributes to its tears of sympathy.

There, he is informed, they watched her float a while, and heard her sing 'melodiously' some 'snatches of song': at last they saw her sink, down to the 'muddy' bottom of the 'glassy-' surfaced stream: Ophelia was drowned! Laertes might well inquire who the witnesses were. Horatio was responsible for Ophelia's safe-keeping (ii. 75): was it then he that saw and heard all this? No, nor anyone else. The whole passage is absurd, and as undramatic as it could be, if it is regarded as the account of the actual death of Ophelia." Wilbraham Fitzjohn Trench. Read on... _____ An analysis of Claudius, Hamlet's Uncle Introduction to Claudius in Hamlet As with all the supporting characters in Hamlet, Claudius is not developed to his full potential. His primary role in the play is to spawn Hamlet's confusion and anger, and his subsequent search for truth and life's meaning. But Claudius is not a static character. While his qualities are not as thoroughly explored as Hamlet's, Shakespeare crafts a whole human being out of the treacherous, usurping King of Denmark.

When we first see Claudius, he strikes us an intelligent and capable ruler. He gives a speech to make his court and country proud, addressing his brother's death and the potential conflict with Norway. Claudius knows that a change in government could ignite civil unrest, and he is afraid of possible unlawful allegiances and rebellion. His speech juxtaposes the people's loss with the new beginning they will have under his care, and he uses the death of Hamlet's father to create a sense of national solidarity, "the whole kingdom/To be contracted in one brow of woe" (1.2.3-4). Claudius has assumed the role of the chief mourner, and the people can unite behind a collective suffering. He can now concentrate on his kingly duties, and he takes immediate and decisive action by sending Cornelius and Voltimand to appease the Norwegian king. He also deals skilfully with Laertes' request to leave for France.

"On the whole, then, there emerges a King who is well qualified for his office...there continually appears on the stage a man who is utterly unlike the descriptions, and this in turn gives to Hamlet's words their real value." (Lokse, Outrageous Fortune, 79). But Claudius, in private, is a very different person. The Ghost refers to him as "that incestuous, that adulterate beast" (1.5.42), and we soon realize that his crime is what is "rotten in the state of Denmark." The King has committed fratricide and regicide and has bedded the Queen with "the witchcraft of his wit" (I.v.47). Claudius represents the worst in human nature -- lust, greed, corruption, and excess.

Claudius and his corrupt court bask in the pleasures of the flesh: The king doth wake tonight and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering up-spring reels; And as he drains his draughts of Renish down, The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his pledge (1.4.8-12) However, Claudius is not a total sociopath, devoid of moments of guilt and regret. His deeds, on occasion, weigh heavy on his heart: (aside) O, 'tis true! King Claudius King Claudius HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Crabbe, Jerome P. "King Claudius." Hamlet Prince of Denmark. 25 September, 2012. < King Claudius, the antagonist of Shakespeare's Hamlet, is brother to the deceased King Hamlet, second husband to Gertrude and uncle to the younger Hamlet . He ascends to the throne of Denmark by poisoning his own brother and seducing his brother's widow. He is loosely based on the treacherous chieftain Feng who appears in Chronicon Lethrense and in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum.

[ 1 ] Claudius first appears in Act I, scene ii , where he addresses his court, informing them that Young Fortinbras, "holding a weak supposal of our worth," has demanded the surrender of certain lands that were lost by his father to the late King Hamlet. Claudius reveals that he has responded to this threat by writing to Norway, the uncle of Fortinbras, in hopes of suppressing the prince's warlike ambitions. He dispatches Cornelius and Voltemand as ambassadors to Norway for the same purpose. This seemingly minor action, easily overlooked in the opening lines of the scene, is suggestive of Claudius' modus operandi, revealing a preference for stealth and subterfuge over direct confrontation. This matter handled, Claudius quickly turns his attention to Hamlet. Along with the queen, he gently chastises the prince for the dark cloud that he allows to hang over him, saying: 'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father, But you must know your father lost a father, That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound In filial obligation for some term To do obsequious sorrow.

But to persevere In obstinate condolement is a course Of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief. He goes on to say: We pray you throw to earth This unprevailing woe, and think of us As of a father, for let the world take note, You are the most immediate to our throne, And with no less nobility of love Than that which dearest father bears his son Do I impart toward you. Furthermore, Claudius chooses to deny Hamlet's request to return to school at Wittenberg, expressing a desire rather that the prince remain in Elsinore, "Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye." Hamlet reluctantly consents, and were the play to end here, one might think nothing worse of Claudius than that he has been perhaps indiscreet in his hasty marriage to his deceased brother's wife or overly protective of his mourning nephew. But the play does not end here, and a few scenes later ( Act I, scene v ), we learn the usurper's dark secret.

The ghost of Hamlet's father appears to him on the ramparts of the castle, revealing that he has been most foully murdered and that: The serpent that did sting thy father's life Now wears his crown. Hamlet is not shocked by this revelation. On the contrary, he exclaims: O my prophetic soul! My uncle! The prince, it seems, is already aware (at least on some some level) of his uncle's true nature. He listens in horror as the ghost recounts the details of Claudius' hideous crime, explaining how he crept into King Hamlet's orchard and while he slept poured into his ear juice of hebenon which: with a sudden vigour doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood. The ghost, having known Claudius longer and better than any other character in the play, describes him as "that incestuous, that adulterate beast" who "with witchcraft of his wit" and "with traitorous gifts" seduced the queen.

In each case, note that Claudius has chosen trickery and deceit to achieve his aims, murdering the king secretly in his sleep and quietly seducing the queen rather than making a power play for the throne. The ghost, of course, charges Hamlet to avenge his "foul and most unnatural murder," and the stage is set for the action of the play: Hamlet the avenger vs. Claudius the murderer. The opponents hardly seem equally matched. Claudius is an experienced politician, ruthless and cunning, familiar with the employment of treachery, and Hamlet is an untried youth. While the prince was away at school, passing carefree days with the likes of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two foolish youths who expend their limited cunning in the forging of crude witticisms (i.e. residing in the private parts of Fortune), Claudius was diligently plotting his rise to power, laying the groundwork for the clandestine assassination of King Hamlet, a coup he pulls off without anyone (other than Hamlet apparently) even suspecting foul play. In fact, he has the old king's courtiers, groveling bootlickers like Polonius, eating out of his hand.

A master manipulator, Claudius appears to have little fear of Hamlet, his brooding nephew who seems only moderately successful even in the diversions of youth -- his love suit to Ophelia, for instance, which is so easily undermined by her father. In addition, Claudius has the entire court at his disposal, while Hamlet trusts no one, not even his closest friend, Horatio, from whom he hides the facts of his uncle's transgression until the play scene ( Act III, scene ii ) when he finally enlists his friend's aid in determining the king's guilt. By all outward appearances, Claudius would seem to hold the advantage in the game of cat and mouse that is about to ensue. He only seems to be sharpening his claws. But appearances can be deceiving, and as one critic writes, Claudius' confident display of kingly power is perhaps more air than substance: Claudius is, from one point of view, another Player King: a "thing of shreds and patches", as Hamlet calls him, referring to the motley of the "Vice" or clown....

Claudius is an example of a spurious kind of authority, who has the persuasiveness and physical courage of a ruler, but who is morally empty. [ 2 ] Not all critics, however, are prepared to accept Claudius as an empty suit. In fact, some have even taken the remarkable position of becoming apologists for the usurper, suggesting that, regardless of his method of ascension, Claudius would have made a fine king and that Denmark would have been better off under his rule, describing him as "calm, reasonable, decisive," [ 3 ] pointing out that: Denmark is a healthy and contented community with Claudius as its efficient and kindly administrator, sensibly not wishing to let memories of the past impede the promise of the future. [ 4 ] and even writing: Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is -- strange as it may seem -- a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet, and all would have been well.

[ 5 ] This sort of specious argument seems like the kind of contorted logic that one might expect from the mouth of the usurper himself, or else one of his sycophants. It is a brittle defense, to say the least, and crumbles during the play scene when Claudius' mask of competence is so easily shattered by the presentation of Hamlet's play. Would such an able king as these critics describe allow himself to be visibly rattled by a theatrical reenactment of his crime? Would he rush from the theatre calling for light, as Claudius does, or would he calmly sit through the entertainment, revealing nothing, smiling, even applauding perhaps? The presentation of the play is little more than a school boy's trick, and yet it is sufficient to reveal Claudius' "calm, reasonable, decisive" exterior as a thin facade, an illusion whose magic is easily dispelled by a discerning eye. If the rest of the court were not bewitched by Claudius' spell, they too would see what Hamlet and Horatio observe -- a criminal exposed. Have there been earlier signs of his weak and depraved nature?

From the very beginning of the play, Claudius is perhaps overly eager to know the cause of Hamlet's brooding. While Gertrude is more concerned with Hamlet's well-being, her husband's interest seems to revolve around finding the hidden cause of Hamlet's unnatural temperament. (Perhaps because he suspects the truth!) He is vexed at the prince's refusal to accept the natural course of life and to move on (as the rest of the court has done, including Gertrude). In retrospect this is probably a sign of fear, an inability to manage his own guilty conscience. Claudius is not a cool manipulator like Iago. Neither is he the bold decision maker that some critics make him out to be. Whenever he is ready to take decisive action, he allows himself to be dissuaded by others. When he first decides to send Hamlet away, for instance, he listens to the counsel of Polonius and is led astray, persuaded to explore the possibility that Hamlet's brooding is merely a product of his infatuation with Ophelia (when all of his instincts scream that it is not).

It is probable that Claudius' suffers from feelings of inadequacey after living most of his life in the shadow of his more able brother. As Hamlet makes clear in the interview with his mother ( Act III, scene iv ), there is an enormous gap between the two men: Look here, upon this picture, and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated on this brow: Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars, to threaten and command, A station like the herald Mercury New lighted on a heaven-kissing hill; A combination and a form indeed Where every god did seem to set his seal To give the world assurance of a man. This was your husband. Look you now what follows. Here is your husband, like a mildewed ear, Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes? Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed And batten on this moor? If there is any truth to Hamlet's words, how Claudius must have cringed at any comparison to his brother -- how he must have feared his shortcomings would be exposed by the juxtaposition of their contrasting natures.

After his meltdown during the play scene, Claudius makes a weak attempt at repentance, retreating to his chambers to pray, but finds that he is unable. O, what form of prayer Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'? That cannot be, since I am still possessed Of those effects for which I did the murder, My crown, mine own ambition and my queen. May one be pardoned and retain the offense? ( Act III, scene iii ) Though he forces himself to pray ("Bow, stubborn knees!"), Claudius does not in his heart repent. Unwilling to relinquish the fruits of his crime, he plunges ahead instead with his wickedness. How lost he is, how deeply immersed in darkness, becomes clear in his Machiavellian subversion of Laertes (Act IV, scene v and vii). Violent, self-willed, irrational, Laertes is easily maneuvered into a seemingly foolproof plot against Hamlet's life. Emblematic of purpose, passion, and memory at their worst, Laertes will stick at nothing to live up to his own warped conception of honor. [ 6 ] But Claudius' trickery is too indirect.

He holds all the power, yet he fears direct confrontation. He could easily have the prince slain but he fears the reaction of the people and of his queen. Instead, he recruits multiple partners to carry out this treachery in secret -- Laertes, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the king of England -- but these plots fail, being too elaborate and long-winded. The young inexperienced prince outwits Claudius and his minions at every turn because (in spite of his reputation as a man incapable of action and unlike his uncle who better deserves such renown) Hamlet recognizes opportunity when it presents itself and seizes it boldly and directly. Claudius could learn from his nephew, but he does not. In the end, he falls victim to his own (too elaborate) scheme, run through with the poisoned blade he intended for Hamlet. He is undone by his own weakness. Enslaved by ambition and driven to acts of immorality and lawlessness by his sexual appetite and his lust for power, Claudius is ultimately undone by a lack of fortitude, a lack of commitment to his own evil nature and a need to be seen as honorable when he is not.

Hamlet Summary - eNotes.com Hamlet Summary William Shakespeare Hamlet Summary Hamlet dramatizes Prince Hamlet's gradual descent into madness. Early in the play, the Ghost appears to Hamlet and informs him that Hamlet's father, the King of Denmark, was murdered by Hamlet's uncle, Claudius. Hamlet isn't sure that he believes the Ghost and sets about uncovering the truth. Hamlet makes himself appear crazy to deflect suspicion. He later rejects his sweetheart Ophelia and convinces players to enact the scene of the murder in front of Claudius, who reacts suspiciously. Hamlet’s attempt to kill Claudius results in the death of Ophelia’s father Polonius. Claudius sends Hamlet to England, expecting him to be killed upon arrival, but Hamlet cleverly escapes and stumbles upon Ophelia’s funeral. Claudius arranges a duel between Hamlet and Ophelia’s angry brother Laertes. Gertrude drinks from a poisoned goblet that was intended for Hamlet, and Laertes and Hamlet each deal poisoned blows to the other. In the end, Hamlet kills Claudius, avenging his father.

Download Study Guide Start Free Trial Start your free trial with eNotes to access more than 30,000 study guides. Get help with any book. link Link Prince Hamlet of Denmark is urged by his father’s Ghost to avenge his murder at the hands of the dead king’s brother, now King Claudius; to make matters worse, Claudius has married the widow, Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude. Denmark is under threat of invasion from young Fortinbras, who seeks to regain lands lost to Hamlet’s father by Fortinbras’s father. Claudius sends word to the King of Norway (Fortinbras’s uncle) to curb Fortinbras’s aggression. In the meantime, Hamlet feigns madness with his family and friends, including his beloved, Ophelia, sister to Laertes and daughter to Polonius. Both Polonius and Laertes warn Ophelia against Hamlet’s amorous advances. Polonius believes Hamlet’s “madness” to be love sickness. Laertes is given permission to return to his studies in Paris.

Claudius directs Gertrude to try to learn the cause of Hamlet’s odd behavior; they suspect it is the old king’s death and their own recent marriage. Meantime, Claudius and Polonius eavesdrop on Ophelia and Hamlet, who spurns her and appears mad. The King reveals to Polonius his plan to send Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet seizes the opportunity presented by a traveling troupe of players to expose the King’s guilt with a “play within a play.” Soon after, Hamlet delays killing Claudius because the King is at prayer, and Hamlet does not wish to send him to heaven instead of hell. When Gertrude meets with Hamlet as Claudius has directed, Polonius hides behind the arras in Gertrude’s room to eavesdrop on the conversation. Hamlet, suspecting the interloper is Claudius, stabs and kills Polonius.

When Polonius’s body is discovered, Claudius summons Hamlet and tells him he must sail to England for his own safety; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern accompany Hamlet, carrying letters to the English, threatening war unless they kill Hamlet. Hamlet eventually escapes, returns to Denmark, and is met by Horatio. Ophelia has gone insane after Hamlet’s departure and her father’s death. Laertes returns and vows to avenge Polonius’s death. Claudius contrives a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes, during which Hamlet is to be injured with a poisoned sword tip and poisoned with a drink, thus assuring his death. When news arrives that Ophelia has drowned herself, Laertes is grief stricken. Hamlet and Horatio happen upon the burial site and funeral cortege; Hamlet tries to fight Laertes but is restrained. Hamlet tells Horatio that he rewrote the papers carried by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and that the letters now call for their own deaths. Osric invites Hamlet to the duel with Laertes; Claudius has supposedly bet on Hamlet to win.

Gertrude mistakenly drinks from the cup poisoned by Claudius for Hamlet, and dies; Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword, and then Hamlet wounds Laertes when they accidentally exchange swords. When Laertes reveals the conspiracy, Hamlet wounds the King and forces the poisoned drink upon him. Laertes and Hamlet reconcile, and Laertes dies; Hamlet prevents Horatio from drinking the poison so that he can live to tell the truth. Hamlet names as his successor young Fortinbras, who arrives and orders Hamlet buried with all dignity. Estimated Reading Time Given a text with abundant and helpful footnotes, an average student should expect to spend at least an hour per act on the first read through; subsequent readings should take less time, as the language becomes more familiar. Certainly a five-hour stretch is not advised; probably a few scenes at a time, or perhaps an entire act, would be a comfortable portion for an average reader. Since there are five acts with a total of twenty scenes, the student could expect to spend at least five hours in perhaps six to eight sessions. Related Content (hide) link Link There is little debate that Shakespeare is the greatest Renaissance tragedian, and that King Lear (pr.

c. 1605-1606, pb. 1608) and Hamlet, Prince of Denmark are the best examples of his work in that genre. Since its first production at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Hamlet has been the subject of intense critical inquiry, and the figure of Hamlet has been among the most intensely studied of any of Shakespeare’s creations. Intellectual, self-reflective, alienated, and seemingly paralyzed by doubts about both himself and the circumstance in which he is called upon to act as an agent of revenge, Hamlet has come to be considered the quintessential modern hero. For the subject of his drama, Shakespeare turned to a story already popular in English theaters; at least two earlier productions of the sad tale of the Danish prince had appeared in London playhouses. In many ways, Hamlet is typical of a subgenre immensely popular in Shakespeare’s time: the revenge play. Most of these were bloody spectacles in which almost every character dies in the final act.

The body-strewn stage in act 5 of Hamlet continues this tradition, as does the central action of the drama: the need for the young Hamlet to avenge the death of his father, the king, whose ghost informs Hamlet early in the play that he (the king) had been poisoned by Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius so Claudius could become king and marry Hamlet’s mother, the queen Gertrude. The central dramatic interest in the play is the character of its hero. Hamlet sees himself as the “scourge and minister” of some higher order, returned from school in Germany to set right the disorder in his realm caused by his uncle’s murderous action. Unfortunately, the sensitive prince is not callous enough to ignore the doubts he has about the exact cause of his father’s death. He has been told by his father’s ghost that Claudius committed murder; other hints to that effect abound. The prince feels he must delay his revenge, however, until he is certain Claudius is guilty. Compounding Hamlet’s problem is the fact that his mother, whom he loves dearly, has married his uncle soon after the old king has died.

It is not at all clear to Hamlet whether his mother has had a hand in the murder, whether she is simply unaware of Claudius’s treachery, or whether she believes Claudius is innocent. Much is made of the mother-son relationship; Hamlet spends considerable time trying to convince his mother that she has made a mistake in marrying Claudius. Only when she finally comes to accept his view that the new king is somehow guilty does Hamlet decide to act. His decision is precipitated by several other actions as well, most notably the efforts of his supposed friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to have him killed. Many critics have observed that Hamlet is really too sensitive to effect the revenge that he intends. He is by nature melancholic, possessing a fatalistic disposition that borders on the suicidal. His most famous soliloquy focuses on the virtue of ending his life. “To be, or not to be,” he begins his musings; that is, indeed, a central question for him, since he sees little benefit in continuing to live in a world where injustice reigns. Nevertheless, he decides to act to avenge his father’s murder—once he is certain he knows who has been involved in the plot to kill him.

Viewing the world as a place where things are seldom as they seem, he spends a good portion of his time trying to sort appearance from reality. He invents various devices to help illuminate the truth, such as his elaborate arrangement for a dumb show that will re-create the murder of his father in the presence of Claudius to try to make the king reveal his guilt. Hamlet is not satisfied simply to take vengeance on his uncle clandestinely; he wants Claudius to admit his guilt. For centuries, scholars have debated Hamlet’s inability to act even when he has the opportunity to do so. Early in the play, his inactivity can be attributed to his lack of assurance that Claudius is guilty. Were he to kill the new king without justification, he would be seen as no better than a murderer himself, and no good would come of his action. Nevertheless, when he does appear to have sufficient evidence of Claudius’s role in his father’s murder, the prince still seems paralyzed. In a crucial scene after Claudius has seen the dumb show and left the room visibly upset, Hamlet finds his uncle praying in the castle’s chapel.

It is a perfect chance to slay the king, but Hamlet refrains because he says he does not want to send his uncle’s soul to heaven. Such casuistry has been reason for several critics to claim that Shakespeare is simply drawing out the drama until the final catastrophe. By the final act, Hamlet has become totally fatalistic. Having killed Polonius accidentally, he has already bloodied his hands; he accepts the challenge of Polonius’s son, Laertes, with resignation, knowing that he will probably be killed himself. In the final scene, all of the principals meet their end—and almost all by some mischance of fate. Despite the resounding encomium pronounced over the body of the slain prince, the bleak ending offers little encouragement for an audience who has witnessed this great tragedy. Surprisingly, however, the ending seems justified, in that order has been restored to the Danish kingdom, although won at a terrible price. Such is the lesson of most great tragedies, and Hamlet ranks with the very best examples of the genre. Gertrude in Hamlet (Click the character infographic to download.) Poor Hamlet.

All he wants is a mom who bakes cookies for the PTA bake sale and stays true to his dad's memory—but instead, she marries her dead husband's brother, King Claudius. Is this really an act of betrayal to her husband's memory? Or is mom just not ready to be a widow shut up in some corner of the palace? Ask Me No Questions Oh, Gertrude. We've got a lot of questions about this lady. She's obviously a central figure in the play —Hamlet spends a whole lot of time dwelling on her incestuous marriage to Claudius —but we know practically nothing about her motivations or feelings. Was she having an affair with Claudius before the death of Old Hamlet? Does Gertrude know that Claudius killed her former husband? Why does she drink the poisoned wine her husband has prepared for her son? Does she know it's poisoned? Or, is she just really thirsty? Let's take these one at a time. Big Old Cheater? First things first: Was Gertrude stepping out with Claudius while Old Hamlet was still alive?

The Ghost all but accuses her of adultery and incest when he calls her new husband, Claudius, "that incestuous, that adulterate beast" (1.5.49). Okay, it seems clear Gertrude's guilty of adultery (cheating on one's spouse) right? Well, maybe not. In Shakespeare's day, " adulterate " could refer to any sexual sin (like incest), not just cheating. But, if you really want to argue that Gertrude's a big old cheater, be sure to check out the ghost's emphasis on the marriage "vow" he made to Gertrude (1.5.56): he says that there was a "falling-off" from him to Claudius, which sure seems to imply that she was cheating on Old Hamlet while he was alive—and just maybe even plotting with Claudius. Big Old Murderess? Next question. Did Gertrude know her late husband was murdered by her new man? On the "No way!" side, the Ghost never accuses Gertrude of murder—just adultery.

Also, Gertrude seems pretty surprised when Hamlet accuses her of "kill[ing] a king and marry[ing] with his brother" (3.4.35). (Although we might suggest that, if she doesn't know, she might be kind of dumb.) On the other hand, we could also argue that Gertrude is surprised because, well, she's been caught. Take your pick. Self-sacrificing Mother? Finally, does Gertrude know she's chugging poisoned wine in the play's final act? Surprise! Again, Shakespeare doesn't exactly make things clear. She goes to drink; Claudius tells her not to, and she says: "I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me" (5.2.318). Is she apologizing for drinking when he tells her not to? Does "I will" mean, "I'm going to take to control of my own destiny for once"? Or is she just thirsty? In Laurence Olivier's film adaptation of Hamlet , Gertrude drinks knowingly, presumably to save her son from certain death.

If she drinks on purpose, then she's the self-sacrificing mother Hamlet has always wanted her to be. But we're not convinced that the rest of the play has shown her to be self-sacrificing at all. If nothing else, this moment reminds us that Gertrude is much more complex than Hamlet understands; she's more than just morally "frail" (1.2.150). Gertrude's Sexuality Hamlet is unhealthily obsessed with his mother's sex life (which raises the question: is there any healthy way for a son to be obsessed with his mom's sex life?). Early on in the play, we learn that Gertrude's "o'erhasty" and incestuous marriage to Claudius has shaken up Hamlet's world, leaving him with a sense that the world is contaminated, like an "unweeded garden" that's "rank and gross in nature" (1.2.139; 140). In fact, he might even be more disturbed by Gertrude's sexuality than the news of his father's murder.

Even though the ghost warns Hamlet "Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven" (1.5.92-93), Hamlet just can't seem to leave his mother alone. One final question: does this tell us anything useful about Gertrude? Or does it tell us a whole lot more about Hamlet? Hamlet: Gertrude | Character Analysis | CliffsNotes Character Analysis Bookmark this page Manage My Reading List Gertrude is a shadowy character with little substance on which to hang a characterization. We can examine her through what others say about her more than through what she says. That she is "th'imperial jointress" to the throne of Denmark indicates that she wields some power and suggests that Claudius ' decision to marry her had political implications. Yet Hamlet indicts all women by calling her fickle — "frailty, thy name is woman." We see through Hamlet the picture of a woman who one day lived obediently and in the shadow of one king to whom she was devoted. The next day she allies herself in love and politics with the polar opposite of the man she formerly called husband.

The most haunting questions about Gertrude's character revolve around whether she knows that Claudius is a criminal. Is she merely a dependent woman who needs to live through her man? Is she a conniving temptress who used her power to conspire with Claudius to kill King Hamlet and usurp Prince Hamlet's ascendancy? No textual references are conclusive. The ghost of King Hamlet calls her his "most seeming virtuous queen." He entreats Hamlet to "Leave her to Heaven / And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge / To prick and sting her." These words could imply that she has reason to be guilty, that she is not blameless. Later, the ghost implores Hamlet to comfort her. "But look, amazement on thy mother sits. / Oh step between her and her fighting soul." Again, he waxes protective of her but implies that she has some reason to be spiritually conflicted.

When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive at Elsinore, she tells them that they have been sent for because of the way Hamlet "hath talked of you," and she promises them compensation fit for " a king's remembrance." She exhibits apparent sincerity in her concern for Hamlet, and yet, even after Hamlet has told her what he knows about Claudius, even after he has shared his fears of the trip to England, even after Hamlet has clearly proven that something is rotten in the state of Denmark, she never opposes Claudius to protect Hamlet. Unless, as some critics believe, she drinks the poisoned wine as an act of maternal protectiveness. Does she know the wine is poisoned? When "the Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet" is she deliberately drinking to prevent Hamlet's death? If Gertrude has overheard Claudius and Laertes plotting, she would know all. If she is in Claudius' confidence, she would be complicit with all his conspiracies. Though Claudius professes love and admiration for Gertrude, he never confides to anyone the extent of their relationship.

Gertrude describes her love for Hamlet when she asks him not to return to Wittenberg. When she shares with Ophelia her hope that the young woman would have married her Hamlet, she divulges her wish for his happiness. However, she never declares any kind of emotion for Claudius, either positive or negative. Ultimately, Gertrude's character remains malleable. In the hands of an astute actor and a clever director, she can come across as either Claudius' co-conspirator or Hamlet's defender. Either interpretation works, if built substantially.

Question: King Claudius and Queen Gertrude appear in which Shakespeare play?
Answer: Hamlet